As preparations intensify for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a firm warning to invigilators and supervisors across the country to maintain strict professionalism or risk dismissal.
The directive, issued by Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, Director General of the GES, reflected a broader national effort to combat examination malpractice and safeguard the integrity of the education system.
“Invigilators and supervisors who are caught aiding any form of exams or practice will be severely punished – and I must say that it might cost them their job”
Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, Director General of the GES
In a public statement regarding the national exams, Professor Davis did not mince words about the consequences for any GES staff caught aiding misconduct. He emphasised that invigilators and supervisors must lead by example, serve as role models, and uphold the values of fairness and integrity throughout the examination period.
The GES is taking a hard stance against academic dishonesty not just to punish wrongdoing, but to rebuild trust in the national assessment system. Professor Davis explained that widespread cheating undermines the ability of policymakers and educators to evaluate how well the education system is functioning.
“We need the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure that examination malpractice of all forms are reduced to the barest minimum or eliminated. Why? Because examination malpractice does not help the system to accurately measure the performance of the student”
Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, Director General of the GES
According to the Director General, when students cheat, it becomes nearly impossible to determine their actual learning progress, which in turn distorts national education planning and quality assurance on a larger scale.
The GES therefore, appealed to all actors – students, teachers, parents, and officials – to support the campaign to eradicate malpractice, especially in the upcoming BECE.
Students Urged to Work Hard
In his address, Professor Davis also turned his attention to candidates sitting for the examinations. He encouraged students to resist the lure of shortcut solutions such as leaked questions, stressing that success achieved through dishonest means is hollow and ultimately harmful.
“They should not rely or depend on ‘apo’ or external support. That might not come – and that will not help them. We don’t want students who have excelled by cheating their way through. That is not the quality and the kind of students we want to produce”
Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, Director General of the GES
The GES is positioning the 2025 BECE not only as a test of academic knowledge, but as a test of personal integrity. The emphasis on character and ethical conduct is part of a broader effort to reform the country’s education sector under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.
While laying down a strict ethical framework for the examination, the GES also took a moment to recognise the efforts of educators and families.
“I wish to commend all head teachers, teachers, parents who have contributed in preparing the student for the examination for their hard work,” Professor Davies said, praising those who have worked diligently behind the scenes to ensure candidates are academically and emotionally ready.
“I will advise the students to put in their best to come out with flying colours,” he added. This balanced approach – tough on malpractice and appreciative of genuine effort – underscored the GES’s commitment to restoring credibility in Ghana’s basic education system.
The June 11th – June 18th, 2025 BECE, is expected to be closely monitored, with additional mechanisms in place to detect and respond swiftly to any reported irregularities.
The message from the Ghana Education Service was clear: only honesty, hard work, and discipline will be rewarded. Those who choose to compromise the examination process, no matter their rank or role, will be held accountable.
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